LEOPOLD - Lively experience of the past of Leopoldsberg from digital archaeological data

The LEOPOLD project was funded by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF) under the call "Five Senses". The project was realized in a cooperation of the Vienna University of Technology, the University of Vienna, VIAS -Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science and imagination GmbH. It started in December 2006 and ended November 2008.

The main objective of this project was to research and develop mixed reality installations to make abstract, digital archaeological and historical data perceivable for the public in an attractive and understandable way. The scenic and historical important site Leopoldsberg in Vienna was selected as the historical and geographical background for the content and story of the installations. Events and highlights related to the history of the Leopoldsberg can be experienced in an interactive, multi-modal way by the public, simultaneously addressing more senses.

Three mixed reality edutainment installations that mediate concrete historical facts have been constructed and evaluated. The goal was to provoke the interest of visitors by surprising and exciting them. Set-up at the historical site Leopoldsberg they allow a blended experience of present and historical scenery and events.

In the course of this project the castle on Leopoldsberg and its surrounding area were scanned by VIAS using a RIEGL LMS Z420i 3D Laser Scanner to obtain 3D geo-referenced data. This data will be converted into 3D models that are directly used for the mixed reality installations. Beside that this data is a valuable source for further archaeological and historical research.